Indian Sub-continent

Kanpur: The movement of the Mahabodhi Express was disrupted following its nearly crash with an animal near Jhijhak-Ambiyapur railway station on Wednesday late at night in Kanpur Dehat district.

According to the news, the train was moving towards Kanpur from Delhi. As the train was hit by the animal, seven pillars of the overhead cable line were badly damaged in the sudden incident, railways officials said while learning of the occurrence. About half a dozen trains were thus stopped.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Taliban militants attacked protesters Wednesday in Afghanistan who dared to take down their banner and replace it with the country’s flag, killing at least one person and fueling fears about how the insurgents would govern this fractious nation.

ISLAMABAD, Aug 18 (APP): Pakistan on Wednesday strongly condemned the use of tear gas shells and firing of warning shots on Muslims taking part in peaceful Muharram procession in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

Dozens of Kashmiris have reportedly been detained and journalists have also been subjected to baton charge, the Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement.

ISLAMABAD, Aug 18 (APP): While most of the western countries are frantically evacuating staff from Afghanistan and have shut down their missions, the Pakistan Embassy in Kabul continues to extend consular services for Pakistanis, Afghans and nationals of other countries and help them leave the country.

18 Aug 2021; MEMO: A Taliban spokesman has insisted that he did not speak to any media identified as Israeli, Arabi21.com reported today.

Suhail Shaheen was heard answering questions about the rights of minorities, including Jews, the London-based news website said. He gave his answer to an Israeli reporter, who did not identify himself as such.

Vadodara, Aug 18 (PTI) Six men employed as labourers for a rail project were arrested for allegedly raping and killing a woman in a village in Gujarat's Vadodara district, police said on Wednesday.

The men, staying in a colony of labourers, allegedly raped the woman (37) in a farmland where she had gone to cut grass for fodder two days ago, strangled her to death and then dumped the body in the same field and fled, Vadodara (rural) Superintendent of Police Sudhir Desai said.

New Delhi, Aug 18 (PTI) A Delhi court on Wednesday discharged senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in a case related to his wife Sunanda Pushkar's death in a luxury hotel here.

Special Judge Geetanjali Goel passed the order in a virtual hearing.

Tharoor thanked the judge, and said it was an absolute torture for last seven-and-a-half-years and that it was a great relief .

Kanpur: In a recent questionnaire by a popular agency Asianet News Mood of the Voters survey, which was conducted by Jan Ki Baat, it has been found that 70 per cent of the Yadav favour Akhilesh-led Samajwadi Party while only 18 per cent back the ruling BJP.

As is the case in other regions, here to non-Yadav OBCs (64%) stand with the BJP and 27 per cent come with the Samajwadi Party.

In Kanpur-Bundelkhand region, it becomes evident that Yadavs are backing cycle.

Islamabad, Aug 18 (PTI) Asserting that Pakistan is reaching out to all Afghan leaders for a peaceful settlement of the current crisis in the neighbouring nation, Prime Minister Imran Khan has urged the international community to stay engaged, particularly to support the people of the war-ravaged nation economically.

The Prime Minister's Office in a late night statement on Tuesday said Khan received a telephone call from German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the two leaders exchanged views on the rapidly evolving situation in Afghanistan.

KABUL, Aug 18 (Reuters) - The leaders of Afghanistan's Taliban will show themselves to the world, an official of the Islamist movement said on Wednesday, unlike during the past 20 years, when its leaders have lived largely in secret.

"Slowly, gradually, the world will see all our leaders, there will be no shadow of secrecy," the senior Taliban official, who declined to be identified, told Reuters.